Apparatus for effecting the escape of persons from sunken vessels



y'3, 1938. J. H. HERMANSON 2,116,200

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE ESCAPE OF PERSONS FROM SUNKEN VESSELS Filed'Sept. 4, 1956, 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 in? /4 22 g May 3, 1938.

J. HERMANSON 2,116,200

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING' THE ESCAPE OF PERSONS FROM SUNKEN VESSELS Filed Sept. 4', 193a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jig. 21

EIIIIB $2 lli I I INVENTOR. J. H. HER/v4 use/v ATTORNEY 5 Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE ESCAPE OF PERSONS FROM SUNKEN VESSELS This invention relates to apparatus for effecting the escape of passengers and crew from sunken vessels, and while not necessarily restricted thereto, the apparatus is particularly designed for submarine vessels.

The invention broadly comprehends in an apparatus of the indicated character a watertight buoyant undersea life-boat carried by and mounted and secured on the deck of the vessel with registering means on the vessel and life-boat for establishing communication therebetween whereby the passengers and crew may leave the sunken vessel and enter the life-boat which is then released from the vessel and floats to the surface. v

The invention also includes a flexible connection between the vessel and the life-boat by means of which the latter may be subsequently lowered, guided and secured to the sunken vessel and communication reestablished therebetween for effecting the escape and rescue of remaining survivors after those previously rescued have been removed from the life-boat, and which means is also utilized to control the ascent of the lifeboat to the surface.

More particularly the invention resides in the provision of means operable from the interior of the life-boat for releasably securing same to the vessel and a cradle upon the deck of the vessel within which the life-boat is normally locked.

As a further feature the invention resides in the provision of plurality of winches within the lifeboat upon which a cable connection is normally wound together with a manually actuated brake mechanism for controlling the unwinding of said cable and manually actuated means of independently winding the cable connection upon said winches.

With the above enumerated and other objects and advantages in View, reference is now made to the following specifications and the accompanying drawings in which there is disclosed by way of example a preferred embodiment of the invention while the appended claims cover variations and modifications thereof falling within the scope of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view through a vessel equipped with an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating the life-boat secured to the vessel.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the mating hatchways of the vessel and life-boat.

Fig. 3 is an' enlarged plan view of the cable winding and brake mechanism with parts shown in section.

Fig. 4v is an enlarged sectional view through one of the latches.

Fig. 5 is a plan view partly in section of the apparatus of the invention and illustrating the life boat secured to the vessel.

Referring to the drawings by characters of ref erence A designates a vessel which in the present instance is assumed to be a submarine having a top deck B so that the interior of the submarine hull defines a watertight compartment immediatcly below the top deck. Obviously if the apparatus is applied to a merchant vessel or other type of surface craft in lieu of a submarine vessel, a watertight compartment would be constructed under the top deck B within which a the passengers and crew would seek refuge in event of sinking of the vessel.

The escape apparatus constituting the present invention includes one or more manholes or hatches Ill formed in the upper deck, opening into the watertight compartment and each provided with a suitable hatch cover. I l which as disclosed is preferably of the sliding type operable either from within the vessel or exterior thereof by means of control wheels l2 and I3. The hatches are framed up by an upstanding upwardly taperingv flange or coaming M and a continuous marginal gasket 15 is provided in surrounding relation to the flange or coaming M at its juncture with the top deck B of the vessel.

The apparatus also includes a watertight buoyant undersea life-boat it which is mounted upon the top deck B and is normally located within a cradle consisting of a continuous rail l1 conforming generally to the contour of the hull of the life-boat and supported in spaced relation above the deck 13 by series of uprights l8 anchored to the top deck. The life-boat IE is formed with manholes or hatches l9 in its bottom corresponding to the number and arrangement of the manholes or hatches in the top deck B and said manholes or hatches I9 are provided with hatch covers 2!] herein illustrated as of the sliding type provided with control wheels 2| and 22 located interiorly and exteriorly of the life-boat. Surrounding each of the manholes or hatches i9 of the life-boat is a depending continuous marginal flange or coaming 23, the lower edge of which is adapted to co-act with the gasket l5 of each hatch I to provide a sealed enclosure located between the bottom of the life-boat and the top deck of the vessel and enclosing the mating hatches or manholes so that when the covers H and 20 of the registering hatches are opened watertight communication is established between the interior of the submarine or watertight compartment of the vessel and the interior of the life-boat whereby persons may escape from the vessel and enter the life-boat.

In order to detachably secure the life-boat to the vessel, interengaging means are provided on the life boat and the cradle which means consist of longitudinal spaced outwardly projectable latches 25 at opposite sides of the life-boat hull engageable with keepers 25 carried by the cradle structure, the latches each being operable by means of a hand wheel 2'! located within the life boat for effecting the outward projection and locking of the latches and the inward retraction and release of the same.

The apparatus further includes a cable connection between the vessel A and the life-boat which constitutes means for controlling the ascent of the life-boat to the surface and when necessary is utilized as a means for drawing the life-boat downwardly into cradled position on the top deck of the'sunken vessel for reestablishing-communication therebetween to effect the escape of remaining survivors where the capacity of the lifeboat is insufficient to accommodate all 'of the per sons aboard the sunken vessel. As illustrated, the cable connection preferably consists of at least two cables 30 and 3| which are secured at their lower ends to winches 32 within the vessel, extend upwardly through packing glands 33 and the top deck B and thence through packing glands 34 and the bottom of the life-boat, the cables 30 and 3| being trained around guide sheaves 35 to independent winches 36 within the life-boat. The turning of the winches in a direction to'unwind the cables therefrom is independently controlled by suitable brakes 31 preferably actuated by foot pedals 38, so as to govern the speed of ascent of the life-boat and trim the same as it floats to the surface.

In order to provide means for winding the cables on the winches, to effect the descent of the life-boat a motor 39 is provided for driving through the medium of meshinggears 49, a rotary clutch element 4| having opposite clutch faces 42 with which co-acting clutch faces 43 on the winches are adapted to respectively contact. Each winch is provided with an operating lever 44 for optionally shifting the clutch faces 43 into engagement with the clutch faces 42 of the clutch element 4! so as to independently control the winding of the cables to trim the life-boat and insure its proper cradling and securement to the sunken vessel. The tapered flanges or coamings l4 also serve to guide and properly effect registration of the hatches on the life-boat and vessel when the life-boat is being returned to the sunken vessel.

The life-boat I6 is also provided with upper hatches 50 and hatch covers to permit the persons within the life-boat to leave the same for boarding rescue craft and thereby provide room for remaining survivors in the sunken craft. For

this purpose, if desired, the life-boat may be equipped with inflatable rubber boats which may be launched from the life-boat and subsequently towed thereby. The life-boat may also be equipped with a propeller 52 and a rudder 53 as well as a periscope 54 for navigating the same, the cables 30 being made up of coupled sections which are disconnected so as to permit the release of the life-boat from the sunken craft after all survivors have been rescued.

What is claimed is:

1. In a submarine escape apparatus including a. vessel having a watertight compartment below the top deck thereof provided with a hatchway and an upstanding upwardly tapered coaming surrounding the hatchway, a watertight buoyant undersea life-boat having a complementary hatchway on the bottom thereof, a depending cylindrical coaming surrounding the latter hatchway of slightly greater diameter throughout than the major lower diameter of the tapered coaming and adapted to telescopically encompass the upstanding coaming and to be guided thereby into sealed watertight relation with the top deck, a cradle upon the top deck of said vessel comprising a plurality of spaced standards extending upwardly from the top deck thereof, and a continuous railing conforming generally to the horizontal contour of the hull of the life-boat and supported by said standards, spaced keeper means on the said railing and laterally projectible correspondingly spaced wedge means on the life-boat operable from the interior thereof for interengagement with said keeper means to wedge the tubular coaming into sealing engagement with the top deck and for releasably securing the life-boat in cradled position thereon.

2. In a submarine escape apparatus including a vessel having a watertight compartment below the top deck thereof provided with a hatchway and an upstanding upwardly tapered coaming surrounding the hatchway, a watertight buoyant undersea life-boat having a complementary hatchway on the bottom thereof, a depending cylindlcal coaming surrounding the latter hatchway of slightly greater diameter throughout than the major lower diameter of the tapered coaming and adapted to telescopically encompass the upstanding coaming and to be guided thereby into sealed watertight relation with the top deck, a cradle upon the top deck of said vessel comprising a plurality of spaced standards extending upwardly from the top deck thereof, a continuous railing conforming generally to the horizontal contour of the hull of the life-boat and supported by said standards, spaced keeper means on the said railing and laterally projectible correspond ingly spaced wedge means on the life-boat operable from the interior thereof for interengagement with said keeper means to wedge the tubular coaming into sealing engagement with the top deck and for releasably securing the life-boat in cradled position thereon, and a multiple cable connection between said life-boat and vessel operable from the interior of the life-boat for paying out the cable connection so as to control the ascent of the life-boat and for lowering and initially guiding the life-boat into cradled relation with the railing.

JOHN H. HERMANSON. 

